Serena Williams has had quite a year. After marrying her dream man and giving birth to an adorable baby girl in 2017, the tennis star returned to the court with incredible ease and tenacity. With less than a week until 2019, the queen of the court is closing out this year with one more honor.
On Wednesday, the Compton-bred champion was named The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year. The distinction marks the fifth time Williams has been awarded this title. According to The Associated Press, the 23-time Grand Slam champion collected 93 points in voting by U.S. editors and news directors.
Williams responded to the news with a tweet on Thursday, listing a number of adjectives to describe her reaction.
Honored. Joyful. Happy. Determined. https://t.co/bs90mlwOWU
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) December 27, 2018
Williams just keeps getting better with age. At 37 years old, she made her Grand Slam return just eight months after giving birth to baby Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. She competed at the French Open in May, wearing a skin-tight black catsuit that she later revealed was for medicinal purposes.
It upset much of the tennis association, and the president of the French Open, Bernard Giudicelli, banned the three-time champion from competing in the fit again. Thankfully, the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) had some sense and decided that Williams could don the catsuit whenever she chooses.
Williams also made back-to-back finals appearances this year across the pond in Wimbledon and stateside at the U.S. Open. Even though she lost in both competitions, her emphatic return to the court reminded fans and critics alike that her perseverance is worthy of recognition.
Additionally, Williams launched her first independent clothing line, appropriately named Serena, earlier this year.
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